Record breaking championship win for Monash Ice Hockey duo

Two of Monash’s Ice Hockey stars have topped the podium in the Australian Women’s Ice Hockey League (AWIHL) Championships last month, taking out gold as a player and coach for Melbourne Ice in a record breaking seventh title in nine years.

The winning goal was scored with just 36.7 seconds remaining in the intense match between long-term rivals Melbourne Ice and the Sydney Sirens. 

Monash student Hope Newman, who is studying a Graduate Diploma of Reproductive Sciences, was a member of the winning team, and Melbourne Ice Coach Marcus Wong is also part of the Monash University Elite Student Performer Scheme.  

Melbourne started the gold medal match in Adelaide strong, finding the back of the net twice before Sydney scored three unanswered goals. Melbourne then tied up the competition in the last period, before the final goal was scored with less than a minute left. Hope said the team tried to focus on “sticking together and keeping our heads on, rather than letting things get out of hand.”

“It’s the best feeling, having the reward for all your hard effort. The entire team erupted, and we were really just happy and excited that six months of hard work all condensed down into 30 seconds.”

Melbourne Ice won their seventh AWIHL Championship in Adelaide on March 10.

Photo: Hope Newman.

Melbourne Ice may be the most successful team in the league, but they are not without strong competition. Hope said the Sydney Sirens are their top rival.

“We can get very competitive with them and quite aggressive with them, and they can get very aggressive with us,” she said.

“Everyone is just on edge. It’s six months of hard, hard work and it comes down to one game that you have to try to put all your effort into. And when that comes in you’ve got too many emotions flying around, so it gets pretty heated out there.”

Hope, who originally began ice skating to assist with her ski technique, said she was “really happy” with her personal performance in the match.

“I’m kind of a developing player and each game that I play is just better and better and better. I played aggressively out there but I think I kept my head cool and I just went out there and did my best,” she said.

“This year I hope to score a few more goals for Melbourne Ice, but also working towards being the best player that I can be, and making the Australian team in the next few years is the goal. I don’t think I’m too far off the Australian team, but it would take a lot of dedication to get me there.”

Hope Newman said she played "really well" throughout the intense game.

Photo: Hope Newman. 

Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) student Marcus Wong, who also plays Ice Hockey for the Melbourne Ice Men’s team, has been coaching the Women’s team for four years. He said the win was a “testament to the players”.

“The whole game was very exciting, but definitely [the end] was nail-biting,” he said.

“[After the final goal] Sydney had a couple of shots, so we had to defend well, which we did.”

Last year Melbourne Ice Women beat finalists Melbourne United (National Basketball League), Melbourne Victory (A-League) and the Western Bulldogs (AFLW) to become the 2018 Team of the Year at the Victorian Sports Awards. Marcus said the award demonstrates the team’s “commitment”.

“The players all pay to play, so it’s a self-funded thing and they just have to fit hockey around their lives,” he said.

“Coaching is about helping them reach their potential and enjoy hockey, in a good environment. We do it for those reasons.”

Written by Nell O'Shea Carre, Media Coordinator.